Philip Reinhold Geffe (Woliston)

Philip Reinhold Geffe (1920–2017) was a distinguished electrical engineer, author, and competitive chess master whose multifaceted career spanned over seven decades. Born in Napa, California, and raised in Seattle, Washington, he competed under his mother’s maiden name, Woliston, during his youth. Under this name, he emerged as a chess prodigy mentored by Olaf Ulvestad. At age 16, he defeated Washington State Champion Leonard Sheets, and at 19, he secured the 1939 California State Championship, becoming the youngest titleholder in the …